Hall Cheney

A Rome Boy Fell In Sewer.
Little Hall Cheney Meets Singular and Horrible Death.
He Was Missed For Hours
And Finally Found in River Near Mouth of Sewer in Which He Was Drowned.

Rome, Ga., June 17. – One of the saddest accidents in the history of Rome occurred yesterday afternoon. Hall, the eight year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin D. Cheney, was drowned in a large sewer and the body swept into the Oostanaula river, from where it was recovered by large dray nets this morning.

The circumstances are particularly heart-rending. Yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock the lad came down with his father to carry home a purchase for his mother. The last seen alive was at the Masonic temple corner, when his father gave him the umbrella and told him to hurry home. Heavy rains fell between 2 and 3 o’clock flooding the sewers to their capacity.

An open sewer on the opposite of Fourth avenue from the Masonic temple sweeps down at a sharp incline and empties its waters into the Oostanaula.

When Mr. Cheney went home at 7 o’clock he inquired for the boy. Mrs. Cheney thought the boy was with his father, so the lad was gone some five hours before he was aided by the police and many citizens.

Absolutely no clew was obtained until near 11 o’clock last night, when Dr. Hamilton gave the first conception of the child’s terrible fate. While driving up town to make a professional visit to the country he saw an open sewer and thought strange of it at the time. He also saw Rufus Blake pick the umbrella out of the water.

At 11 o’clock last night Dr. Hamilton returned to the city, and hearing of the child’s disappearance, at once imparted the information to the distressed father. The umbrella was secured and identified by Mr. Cheney as the one Hall had. Then began the long search for the body. It was established beyond question that the boy could go through the sewer, and all night the search continued. Early this morning the lifeless form was secured about fifty feet from the mouth of the sewer.

No tragedy has shocked Rome as has this one and the young parents are prostrated. It is presumed the lad was waddling in the water, lost his footing and was swept under before he could recover.